Door closer



Sept- 12, 1950 i E. BILLTER 2,522,252

DOOR CLOSER /M/E/vrm: i

Sept 12 1950 E. BILLETE'R 2,522,252

K nook` cLosER Fired Aug. 5, 1948 -v 14 sheets-sheet s Patented Septe 12, 1950 z DOOR fCL'OSER Thisinventi'l'onrelates todoor closers, partieu larly to hydraulically operated closersof'the typehczomprisingda .closing spring which is energized upon opening of thedoor, and inv which the closing period ofthe door can be timed by means o f a hydraulicl braking piston system provided with regulating means for adjusting the rate of advanceoi themoving piston. n

. It isanrlobject ofl the present invention to provide'a door closer of this type with a retarding device `operating to create a halting period between theH opening movement and the closing movementyof the doorfso as to substantiallystop anyfinovementof the door beforethe beginning of' the proper 'closingperiod and to allow an unhihdered passage of persons through the door.v

' vThe invention is illustrated by Way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which y l n Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the i'iriprov'edy doorl closer according` to theV invention, partly shown insectionf tion'of operation of the door closer.

Fig. 5 is a'fragmentary view oi a modifledarrangement represented in the position of operation according to Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 showspa detail of the door closer according to Fig. 1v drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. '7 is'a plan view of the device according to 6., corresponding to the closed positionfof the door.

Fig. 8 is a similar plan View of the device corresponding to the open position of the door.

Figs.9 rand 10 show a further modification of a detail of the door closer, corresponding to the open and the closed position; respectively, 'of the door.

" Fig.y 11 is still a further modification of the same detail of the door closer.

l `lFig. 12 isa plan view'of the device according'to Fig. 11.

'f Fig. 13 isa transverse section along the line XIII-XIII of Fig. 12. Y

Figfll is-a general assembly View of the door closer.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, I indicates the 'usual Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show each oneparticularpc'si-e- Ernst Billeter, Zurich, Switzerland f l Application August 5, 194s,seria1No.42,7ioo

- In Switzerland August 6,1947

(ci. ici-5,91A

hydraulic 'braking cylinder having an end cover Zand a lateral extension Ia, the interior of which is separated from thebraking cylinder space b-ya fixed partition 3. The free 'end of -theextension Ia is closed by a screwed cover member 4. IA hol# loW cranl; shaft E extends through and-is rotate ably mounted in the partition 3 and cover .4. The

usualydoor Vclosing spring I- is mounted withinuthej extension la. and vhasone of its ends secured to thewall-.cf the extension, and the other endy to thegcrankwshaft i5. One end of the shaft't` projectsinto the space ic of the braking cylinder I, and carries a erankdisc I2 having a crank pin I2av and a port I2?) communicating with the bore 6a of they shaft 6 (Fig. 6). The end of the bore a is closed by a screw plug 6b. This endet the crank kshaft 6 carries also a rotatably mounted control disc I I provided with ya peripheral recess llc into which engages a drivin-g pin la, so, that an angular `movement of the pin can producevay movement of the controlv disc Hin the same dif; rection. Thek disc Il is provided with an obtura torL I Ia which according to the relative positionof,- the crank shaft S andthe disc II, opens or closes the port I2bfy The disc I I further carries a crankr pin IIb engaging one end oia connecting rod I0, the'other end `of which is rotatably mounted on an axis providedby a pin 9 carried by the braking. piston., Asvrepresented in Fig. 1, the piston `8v isv ina ldead center' position, while vthe. crank shaft ii isin the sofcalled 0 degree or,360 degree posin tion,A as compared vwith* the degree position when thepiston 8 is in its opposite dead center.

position., The piston 8 isprovided with a valve,

controlled y`opeifiirn'g8a adapted `to communicate with a valvey chamber I3, which contains avalvel member 4`I 3a on a valverod IBIJ, They valve memberv I3a is providedfwith peripheral recesses'y IBCA which vpermitpassage o flfluid across the piston when lthe vvalve member is in an intermediate positioniin the. valve chamber I3; however,the opening'a isr sealed by the valve member Ita whenr this latterl abuts againstthe piston wall provided with thev opening 8d.' The valvev chamber I3 communicates with the cylinder space I dv v byopenings 8b.( Aspiring i4 acts on the valve I'nember |311, to' urgej this" member towards ,theA velve'eperiinaaf l 4 l jintenorfwalroftrie `braking -cylinder'js provided with'fa longitudinally 'extending'groove" Ie adjacent one end of the cylinder As shown in Fig. `l,`the length of thisgroove Ie is such that when the brakingpiston 8 is in its extreme pos'i' tion l'near they end Wall vIl; of the cylinder; `the groove still slightly projectsj'beyondthe piston* into the cylinder space Ic. `The space id of, the

:brakingcylinder communicates by afport'- 3io- Withf'a fir-iidreturn chamber 34', connected bly-'the valve controlled opening 35o to the spacelc'of the .braking cylinder.` `Avalvepiston 35e is urged' from the interior of the space lc towards thefport abyi-aspring 35o inserted ini the -Va'lve casing 35d. The speeio fluid pressurelfrequiredior# raising the :valve `member 35o from fthe rport' 35a ishigheryfthantthe fluid pressure created-bythe' action .ofthe door closing spring 'I- ontlie braking piston S. The valve member 35o accordingly can be opened only by a force which is additional to that created Iby the closing spring l', as for example when the door is forcibly closed by hand.

A conduit I5 opens through the end wall lb into the fluid return space 34. This conduit I5 leads to a. fluid control chamber 26 connected by a conduit It to the space Ic of the braking cylinder. The conduit I5 comprises a regulating throttle valve 22', while a check valve 29 having a ball 29a and a ball stop 29h is inserted into the conduit I6.

A further conduit I1 opens into the space Id of the braking cylinder and is connected by a conduit I9 to one end 23a of a control cylinder 23, and by a conduit I8 to the end of the crank shaft 6 projecting from the lateral chamber la to communicate with the bore 6a. The conduit yI'II. comprises a check valve 29', while a regulating valve 2| is inserted in the conduit I8.

Cutside of the cover 4 anarm 5 connected' to the door frame (Fig. 14') is secured to the' crank shaftl, the; end of which is rotatably and tightly fitted into the end of the conduit I8.

The control' cylinder 23 contains a control pis-A ton 21' connected by a rod 28 to a spring cup 25. The Space 25 between the piston 21 and the' spring cup 25 forms a control chamber. In the position shown in Fig. 1 uid from the conduit I5 canA freelyl pass through the chamber 25 into L` the conduit I5. A spring 24 is inserted betweenthe spring cup '2"5 and the end wall 23a of the centralV cylinder; this spring tends to move the piston 21 towards the opposite end wall 23h. As represented in'y Fig. l', the piston 2T is in its upper entr-,eme position in which the abutment 21a makes contactwith the end wall 23h. The' conduit 2t? isc'onnected to this end of the cylinder 2f3an'd leads to the conduit I6 communicating withrthe space' Ic of the braking cylinder.

The specic iiuid pressure required for .openingv thievva'lve I3a against its spring I4 is' higher than-theuidpressure necessary for moving the piston 2T from the: extreme position shown in Fig. 1 tothe position according to Fig. 2', or the force of thespring I4 is greater than that of the spring 2`4'. The force of this spring I4' is so determined that the valve I3a is displaced to open the port 8a by the fluid pressure created by the door clc'rsing'I spring 1 acting on the piston 8 duringv the rotationy of the'crank shaft 6 in the closing direction from its 360 position tothe 180 position, as soon as the control piston 21` arrives in-thepositionrepresented in Fig. 3.

y The two cylinder spaces Ic and Id of the brakf ing. cylinder, the conduits' I5, I6, I1, I8, I9A and 2U; and the cylinder 23 are lled withan operating.ui dfor example with oil. Fig. 1 represents the door ycloser at the beginning of the opening movement ofthel door, the piston 8Y being pulled inthe direction of the arrowv A by thevactionof: the arm 5 on the crank shaft 6 effecting an anguf larmovement from` 0 to 180. When the/crank shaft'v 6 turns further between 180 and 360? the piston. 8A moves in the direction of the arrow lifl inFig. 3. The beginning of the movement of thef piston il` can coincide with the beginning of the. opening of the door from the closed position thereof however, the arrangement could bev suchv thatthepistonmovement starts at an' intermedi;-

V aepcsition-of the-- door when this latter isfto bei further opened.

Fig. 2 shows the door closer in an intermediate: position during opening of the door, ther brak*- ingpiston having beeny moved already through` a certain distance in the direction of the arrow A. In this position the piston valve I3a has been opened and fluid can pass from the chamber Ic to the chamber Id of the braking cylinder. The control piston 21 has been lowered by uid pressure arriving through the conduit 20, until the spring cap 25 abuts against the end wall 23a of the cylinder V23. In this position ythe piston 21 prevents passage of fluidffro'm' the conduit I5 to the conduit I6.

Fig. 3 shows the door closer in a reversing position for closing the door, the braking piston 8 being.' urged in the direction of the arrow B by thev action of the closing spring 1. This position distinguishes from that shown in Fig. 1 in that thev port `IZbqtoth'e bore of the crank shaft 6 is not closed` by the obturator IIa. The control piston21 is in the same position as in Fig. 2, and the ball'check valve 29' in the conduit I1 is closed. Though the closing spring 1' transmits .a force on the braking pistoni! in the direction of the arrow B, a movement of the piston the .direction B is impossible, since the fluid from the cylinder chamber Iid cannot pass through the conduit I5 whichv is shut off by the pistonv 21. The

position represented in- Fig. 3 accordingly is called the halting position. Y g

Fig. lv shows the position of the door closer during the return movement of the piston 3 for closing the door, following the halting position. The closure of the door is rendered possible by' the piston 21 having been moved in the direction of theY arrow a byv the spring 24; the fluid ahead of the piston 21 is transferred through the cori--l duits 20 and. I6 intoy the cylinder chamber 4I c. Displacement of the piston 2"1 ha`s' opened the'A passage between the conduits I5 and ISl and fluid from the cylinder chamber' Id can be transferred' through the conduit I5, the control chamber 26 a'nd the conduit I6 to the cylinder chamber Ic'. The braking piston y accordingly can return in the direction of the arrow Band transmit movement to the arm' 5 for closing the door. y

In the modified arrangement acccrdingto Fig. 5 the control piston 2'!I movable in the cylinder 2541s represented in a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. s. The throttle valve 22 in the transfer conduit connecting the two braking cylinder chambers isv here provided the cond'u'it it' after the control cylinder 23". For this reason, the fiuidin the conduit I5,. uponl closing of the doorwould actwith` a higher pressure on the piston 21,. since the fluidA in the conduit I5 is not throttled, and this pressure would increase the frictionof. the piston 211 along the cylinder wall. In order to prevent such friction, the cone duit i5 opens. into an annular relieving chamber 30' surrounding the piston, so-thattheifluidpressure'aets. on the entire'area ofthe piston, thus reducing the wall friction to a minimum. The conduit it leading from the cylinder 213 to the braking cylinder is connected:l tothe cylinder 2-3 at apcint axially spaced from the relief chamber 3G. f

Figs. 6; '7v and 8 show the crank assemblryfor connectingV the braking' piston 8'- toy the crank' shaftt The pcrtlzblcommu'nicating with the bore in ther'cranki shaft is closed` in- Figs; 6 andi?? by the obturatorY I=Ia of the crankfy disc II, so: that noffl'uid can' flow outof' the'V port I'2'bi The driver' IfZa on the crank'di'sc I2-engages the recess `Ilc intli'e'. disc I`I-'. This'rece'ss I'Icislongr yin?circurn'feifential direction' than t'lievwdth o'f the' driver ma; sdthat'tne driver-'cari move relatively to the-:discl l1. Trie" relativa position ofY trie discs' II and I2 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is obtained upon opening of the door, accordingly when the braking piston 8 moves in the direction of rthe arrow A in Figs. 1 and 2 and the crank assembly moves in the direction of the arrow C in Fig. '1.

In Fig. 8 a position of the crank assembly is represented in which the crank shaft 6 and the disc I2 have been turned relatively to eachother by the action of the closing spring 'I so that the port I2b has passed the obturator I la; the driver I2a. has arrived against the opposite end of the recess I Ic and further rotation of the crank shaft 6 results in rotation of the disc II in the direction ofthe arrow D by the action of the driver I2a. Rotation of the crank shaft Ii` in the direction of the arrow D takes place when the door closes. The position shown in Fig. 8 corresponds to that represented in Figs. 3 and 4. The lost motion return movement of the crank shaft 6 without driving the disc II, which takes place between the opening and closing movement of the door should preferably :be quite short. After this lost motion return movement, the door closer is in the halting position above referred to as represented in Fig. 3.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a modified crank assembly which is independent of the directions of rotation of the crank shaft 6 for opening or closing the door. The end of the shaft 6 carries a hollow crank pin I2e, the bore of which communicates with the bore 6a. and opens by a lateral port I2b into a hollowsleeve IIIe which is pivotally mounted on the pin I2e. This sleeve is closed at the end mounted on the pin I2e. A valve piston IIlb connected to the pin 9 is slidably mounted within the sleeve Ille and is provided with openings Ille which can register with ports I Ua in the sleeve I Iie, in which position the abutments Id bear against the pin 9 mounted in the braking piston 8 as represented in Fig. 10. Fig. 9 shows the sleeve Ille and the piston Illb inthe relative position which corresponds to opening of the door, according to Figs. 1 and 2. It results from Figs. 9 and 10 that this modied crank assembly is effective in both directions of rotation of the crank shaft '6 so that after a certain lost motion return movement of the piston IIib the fluid can pass through the registering openings Ia and Illc. Figs. l2, 13 and 14 show a further modification of the control crank assembly. At the end of the crank shaft 6 are mounted again the two crank discs Hand I2. The disc I2 carries the driver I2a. The bore 6d of the crank shaft opens through the duct I2b at the periphery of the disc I2. Diametrically opposite the duct I2b the edge of the disc I2 is provided with gear teeth I2d. 1 The disc II is. rotatably mounted on the end of the shaft 6 and carries the crank pin I AIb to be connected with the braking piston, while a recess IIc providedinthe disc II receives the driver Ilia. A pin 3| secured to the disc I I carries a toothed sector 32 having a series of teeth 32a meshing with the gear teeth I2d of the disc I2,

and a series of teeth 32h meshing with gear teeth 33h on the edge of a disc 33 which is rotatably mounted on the crank shaft 6 and carrying an obturator member 33a adapted to close the vduct |219. The driver I2a has a certain amount of lost motion intherecess I Icy of the` disc II. l Inorder to keep this lost motion return movement as small as possible the gear reduction I2d 32a and 32h-33o is provided. since thedisc.

owing to itsconnection withthe brakingv piston 8 cannot be moved in the direction of-'thearrow Cil Bwherr the; dooncloser isin the vposition according to Fig. 3, a rotation of the `crank shaftIi results first.v in arotation of the disc 33 by the meshing gear teeth, this disc 33 requiring a very small efforttobe moved. The gear ratio ofthe teeth.' IMK- 32d isvso chosen that the driver I2a mustgeffecta small angular movement only in the recess I Ic until it moves the disc I I, and that thedisc 33 Aeffects a considerably greater angular movement in order to remove the obturator 33a 'fr omvthe opening .of the duct I2b or toclose this opening. by the obturator. In this manner the door, inthemoment of the reversal from the opening toY vthe closing movement, must only effecta small return .movement until it reaches lthe proper haltingposition.

The described improved door closer operates in the: following manner: This door closer is secured to the doorr and connected to the door frame in exactly the same manner like the usual known hydraulically operated door closers, as is represented in Fig. 14. When the door is closed, the device is in the position as shown in Fig. 1. When the dooris v.opened the crank shaft Iturns and produces a movement of the braking piston 8 in the directionof the arrow A. As shown in Figs.

Ill)

6 and'?, the` opening I2b of the bore `(ib is then closedv by thelobturator IIa. The fluidv in the chambertlc of the braking cylinder is displaced through ,the conduits I6 and 2D into the cylinder 23 above ythe central piston 21, while the ball valve 29 in the conduit IB is closed. Since the specic uid 4pressure required for opening the valve I3 against the spring I4 is higher than that required for moving the `piston 21 against the spring 24, the piston Z1 is first moved to the position representeduin Fig.y 2. From this moment, while the piston 8 continues to move in the direction of the arrow A, the fluid pressure in the chamber Ic overcomes the pressure of the spring I4 and opens the valve member I3a so that fluid can pass through theopening ,8a into theV chamber Id. New` the various-members of the door closer are in ,the'positionv according to Fig. 2. This position ismaintained during the ventire opening movementofvthedoor. l .g

AWhen the door is closed by the action of the closingmspring 1, the crank shaft 6 turns in the v,opposite direction .The obturator I2a, moves in the recess I Ic l(Fig. 8) without moving the disc I I. By this lost. motion movement the opening I2b moves away from the obturator I Ia, and the force of the closing spring 1 now acts through the driver I2a on ,the disc Il and accordingly on the piston B, while the relative position of the discs II and I2 remains as shown in Fig. 8, the force of the closing spring acting on the piston 8 in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 3. A fluid pressure builds up in the chamber Id, which fluid pressure causes closure of the ball valve 29 in the conduit I1, and of the piston valve I3a. The door closer is` then in the position according toFig. 3. Now the uid above the control piston 21, owing to the spring 24 becoming effective, is displaced through the conduits 20 and I6, and While the ball valve 29 in the conduit I5 remains closed, the uid enters into the cylinder chamber Ic. However, since the volume ofY this chamber cannot increase, the fluid ktherein is discharged through the opening I2b and the bore 6b of the shaft 6 and passes through the conduits I8 and I9 into the bottom of the. control cylinder 23 in which the volume belowjthe spring cap 25 is increasing owing to the rising piston 21. A passage through the valve 29' 76, does not .takeplaca asthe. counter pressure exestablish or to interrupt communication between said hollow crank shaft and one of the braking cylinder chambers.

5. A door closer as claimed in claim 3, wherein said hollow crank shaft is connected to said braking piston by a crank assembly including a hollow crank pin rigid with said crank shaft, a sleeve pivotally mounted on said crank pin, and a piston valve slidable within saiclr sleeve and hingedly connected to the braking piston, said sleeve and said piston valve being provided with openings registering with each other upon reversal of the door movement to provide communication between the hollow crank shaft and one of the braking cylinder chambers.

6. A door closer as claimed in claim 3, wherein said hollow crank shaft is connected to the braking piston by means of a crank assembly including a crank disc rotatably mounted on the crank shaft, a crank pin on said disc connected with the braking piston, a driver rigid with the crank shaft and engaging said crank disc so as to allow for a limited lost motion between the crank shaft and said crank disc, said crank shaft being provided with a fluid entrance, and an obturator carstroke.

ERNST BILLETER..

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,408,186 Gehr Feb. 28, 1922 1,849,417 Bassett Mar. 15, 1932 1,963,430 Zarafu June 19, 1934 

